Fight against traffic chaos: 8 Ludhiana roads in Punjab to be 'no-tolerance zones, says police commissioner Swapan Sharma at 'Sampark' outreach event

Ludhiana: In a sweeping traffic reform, the city police will designate eight major roads as " no-tolerance zones " starting this week, as part of a broader push to curb illegal parking, encroachments, and congestion, police commissioner Swapan Sharma announced on Tuesday.

The initiative, unveiled during a ‘Sampark' public outreach meeting at Guru Nanak Bhawan, will see roads marked with yellow and white lines and zebra crossings to facilitate enforcement. Offenders will face strict penalties, Sharma said. An emergency response system (ERS) — integrating a central command centre, PCR vans, wireless units, and response motorcycles — has been deployed already to support smoother traffic movement and faster incident response.

In another significant move, Sharma said 250 police personnel in non-field roles currently will be reassigned to frontline duties following a manpower audit. This redeployment is expected to boost visibility at key junctions and reduce street crimes. The meeting brought together representatives from 28 associations, including traders, industrialists, educational institutions, transport unions, and religious organisations.

Many attendees voiced frustration over indifferent police behaviour, especially regarding theft complaints. One man said his stolen vehicle had not even been registered as a case more than a year after the incident. Commissioner Sharma responded by promising systemic changes and said police stations had already been directed to promptly register complaints moving forward.